The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1887-12-07

the knowledge OF my countryIneH
as we'll. as to the attention of their
representatives charged with the
responsibility of legislative rolief the
gravity ofour financial situation, the
failure OF Congress heretofore tn
provide against tho dangers which
it was quite evident the very nature
OF the difficulty must necessarily y
produce causing a condition of Gnan'
cial distress and apprehension since
your last adjournment which taxed
to .the utmost all the authority
and expedients within executive
control and these appear now to be
exhausted. If disaster results from
the continued inaetion of Congress
the responsibility must rest where
it belongs Tnoug'l the situ'
atiun thus fsr considered is iraught
with dangers which should 'e feli-
lied. ard though il presei'te teatur,'e
wrong, to the people as we'll AS peril
10 tho country, it is but a result
growing out of = perfectly palpabl..
and apparent cause, constantly re,
producing the same alarming cir
a congested national
treasury and depleted monetary
condition In the business of the
country. 1t need hardly be stated
that while the present situation de-
mands a remedy we can only be
saved from a like predicanlent in
the future by the removal OF its
cause. Our scheme of taxation by
means of which this needless sur
plus is taken from the people and
put into the public treasury consists
of tariff or duty levied upon i'm
portations from abroad, and Inter
nal Revenue taxes levied upon the
consumption of tobacco and spirit
uous and malt liquors,
1t must be conceded that none Of
the things subjected to internal
revenue taxation are strictly speak
ing necessaries. There appears to
be no just complaint to the tax
bv the consumers of these articles
and there seems to be nothing 80
well able to bear the burden with
out hardship to any portion Of the
people. But our present tariff laws,
the vicious inequitable and iliosi-
cal source of unnecessary taxation,
ought to be at once revised and
These laws in their pri-
mary and plain effect raise the price
to consumers of all articles import
ed and subject to duty by precisely
the sum paid for such duties; thus
the amount of the duty measures
the tax paid by those who purchase
for use these important articles.
Many of these things, however, are
raised or manufactured in our own
country and the duties now levied
upon foreign goods and products
are called protective to those same
because they render
it possible for tn se of our people
who are manufacturers to make
these taxed articles and sell them
for price equal for that demanded
for the imported goods that have
paid customs duty. So it happens
that while comparatively a few use
the imported articles. millions of
our people who never use and never
saw any of the foreign products
purchase and use things of the
same kind made in this country and
pay, therefore, nearly or quite the
sane enhanced price which the duty
adds to the imported articles Those
who buy the imported pay the duty
charged thereon in the public
Treasury, but the great majority of
our citizens who buy domestic ar
ticles of the same class pay a sum
at least approximately equal to this
duty of the home manufacturer
This reference to the operation of
our tariff laws is not mado by way
of instructions, but in order that we
may be constantly reminded ofthe
manner in which they impose a
burden upon those who consume
domestic products as we'll as those
whe consume imported articles and
thus create taxation on all of our
people,
1t is not proposed to entirely re-
lieve the country of this taxation.
1t must be extensively Y continued as
the source OF the governments in
come and in rsadjustment of our
tariff the interests Of American la
Dor engaged in manufacturing
should be carefully considered as
we'll as tho protection of our manu-
facturers. 1t may be called protec~
ton or by any other name but re-
lief from the hardship and dangers
of our present tariff laws should be
devised with reference to providing
against the imperilling the exists
ence of our manufacturing interests;
bat this existence should not
mean condition which without
regard to the public welfare or
a national exegeucy must
always insure the realization of
immense profits instead of moder-
ately profitable returns. As the
volume and diversity ui our natiDn-
al activities iucIs ease new recruits
are added t. those Who desre aeon
tinuation of the advantages which
they conceive the present system Of
tariff taxation directly affords then.
Stubbornly have all efforts to re
form the present condition been re-
sisted by those of our fellow citizens
thus engaged that they Can hardly
complain of the suspicion enter
tanned to a certain extent that ther e
exists an organized combination all
along the line to maintain their adj
vantage.
We are in the midst of centennial